Stay in touch

You are here

Consumer Protection

There are a number of government agencies responsible for making sure that ordinary Americans have safe, reliable products and services to use. From cars to bank accounts to pacemakers, the products we use are regulated to ensure that what’s available on the market works.

Meet the CFPB:

The CFPB is four years old on July 21. Find out how the CFPB is working for consumers, and learn more about how it can help you. It's already returned $10 billion to consumers and handled over 600,000 consumer complaints.

"California has some of the strongest laws in the country protecting consumers from identity theft," said Emily Rusch, Executive Director of the California Public Interest Research Group. "The last thing Congress should be doing is tying the hands of states."

Today, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray will present the CFPB's sixth semi-annual report to the House Financial Services Committee, whose majority members have been harsh critics of the successful consumer agency. Americans for Financial Reform, joined by the state PIRGs and a total of 340 national, state and local groups, sent Congress a letter explaining why the idea of the CFPB needs no defense, only more defenders.

Today the FCC took not one but two critical actions to make sure that the Internet works for everybody. First, it issued a "Net Neutrality" order guaranteeing a free and open Internet. This Internet freedom order will prevent the phone and cable companies from granting fast lanes or other preferences to already powerful firms. The FCC also acted to override state laws that prevented local governments from building out broadband networks to compete with the phone and cable companies.

"For more than 20 years, wireless phone companies have not only survived but thrived under similar FCC rules for voice communication," said Emily Rusch, executive director of the California Public Interest Research Group. "The FCC's new proposal on broadband protects an open Internet for all consumers."

CALPIRG experts provide tips for consumers on what to watch out for and how to respond to last week's announcement that up to 80 million Anthem customers had their personal information stolen in a data breach.

Our Affiliates

Featured Position

CALPIRG seeks a Public Health Advocate to help lead our Stop the Overuse of Antibiotics campaign in California. The Public Health Advocate will assist in legislative advocacy, media outreach, grassroots organizing, recruitment, fundraising, and coalition-building in order to push for solutions that keep our medicine effective.